Ulster Bank League: Results Round-Up
It was an exciting night in the Ulster Bank League as Clontarf secured home advantage in the Division 1A play-offs, Young Munster won their Limerick derby clash with Garryowen and Division 1B leaders St. Mary’s College overcame close rivals Trinity to gain promotion back to the top flight.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE RESULTS: Friday, April 1
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DIVISION 1A:
GARRYOWEN 8 YOUNG MUNSTER 14, Dooradoyle
Scorers: Garryowen: Try: Alex Wootton; Pen: Neil Cronin
Young Munster: Try: Michael Vaughan; Pens: Gearoid Lyons 3
HT: Garryowen 3 Young Munster 3
Young Munster took a considerable step closer to a home semi-final in Ulster Bank League Division 1A by overcoming local rivals Garryowen 14-8 tonight.
This keenly-contested Limerick derby was watched by the biggest crowd of the season at Dooradoyle where the hosts’ latest defeat knocks them out of the running for the play-offs.
The game was only three minutes’ old when Ireland Sevens international Gearoid Lyons landed a penalty for second-placed Munsters, but it was all-square after 21 minutes when Neil Cronin was on target off the tee for Garryowen.
Four minutes into the second half, out-half Lyons fired over his second successful penalty and he added a third with 74 minutes on the clock.
Just when it looked like Lyons would be the match winner for the Cookies, the biggest cheer of the night greeted Michael Vaughan’s 76th-minute try as the Munsters winger raced in from halfway following an intercept.
Lyons’ Ireland Sevens colleague Alex Wootton replied with a consolation try for Garryowen in injury-time, but there was no denying David Corkery’s charges as they ended the Light Blues’ title hopes.
GARRYOWEN: Alex Wootton; Steve McMahon, Andrew O’Byrne, Joey Purcell, James McInerney; Conan Doyle, Neil Cronin; JP Cooney, Liam Cronin, Ben Rowley, Paul McCarroll, Dave Sherry, Shane Buckley, Conor Oliver, Josh Hrstich (capt).
Replacements: Caolan Moloney, Michael O’Donnell, Johnny Keane, Jamie Gavin, Ronan O’Halloran.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Craig O’Hanlon; Michael Vaughan, Dan Goggin, James O’Connor, Darragh O’Neill; Gearoid Lyons, Abrie Griesel; David Begley, Ger Slattery (capt), Evan Ryan, Tom Goggin, Sean Duggan, Sean Rennison, Diarmaid Dee, Ben Kilkenny.
Replacements: Shane Fenton, Peter Meyer, Michael Madden, Rob Guerin, Jack Harrington.
OLD BELVEDERE 21 CLONTARF 27, Anglesea Road
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Tries: Aidan Wynne, Simon Killeen; Con: Willie Staunton; Pens: Willie Staunton 3
Clontarf: Tries: Mick McGrath, Matt D’Arcy, Conor O’Brien 2; Cons: Joey Carbery 2; Pen: Joey Carbery
HT: Old Belvedere 16 Clontarf 13
Clontarf’s livewire back-line proved too hot to handle, sharing out four tries as the Division 1A leaders claimed a 27-21 bonus point win at Old Belvedere.
Andy Wood’s men, who lost last year’s final to Lansdowne, ensured home advantage in the upcoming Ulster Bank League play-offs with their fifth successive victory.
‘Belvo were good value for their 16-13 interval lead, setting the early tempo at Anglesea Road with a well-taken converted try from hard-working centre Aidan Wynne.
The visitors trailed 10-0 at one stage, but unconverted efforts from Mick McGrath (33 minutes) and Matt D’Arcy (37) got them back in touch before referee Leo Colgan’s half-time whistle.
Leinster winger McGrath’s 12th try of the campaign launched a terrific spell for the north Dubliners either side of the break, as young centre Conor O’Brien – fresh from his recent exploits with the Ireland Under-20s – forced his way over ‘Tarf’s third try.
Joey Carbery converted and also added the extras to a second score from Mullingar native O’Brien who, like Carbery, looks an excellent prospect.
The subsequent sin-binning of number 10 Carbery invited Belvedere forward again and winger Simon Killeen’s 66th-minute try set up a grandstand finish.
However, sixth-paced ‘Belvo were unable to manufacture a match-winning seven-pointer in a gripping conclusion as their slim hopes of reaching the play-offs were eventually extinguished.
OLD BELVEDERE: Daniel Riordan; Shane McDonald, John Kennedy, Aidan Wynne, Simon Killeen; Willie Staunton, Charlie Rock; Adam Howard, Cathal O’Flynn, Declan Lavery, Connor Owende, Jack Kelly, Max Ludwig, Michael Oyuga, Jonathan Slattery (capt).
Replacements: Ed Rossiter, Darrell Ryan, Kieran O’Gorman, David Brandon, Aaron Sheehan.
CLONTARF: Rob Keogh; Michael Brown, Conor O’Brien, Matt D’Arcy, Mick McGrath; Joey Carbery, Sam Cronin; Ian Hirst, Aaron Dundon, Dylan Doyle, Eoghan Browne, Ben Reilly (capt), Michael Noone, Neil Reilly, Anthony Ryan.
Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Tom Byrne, Ivan Soroka, Peter du Toit, Evan Ryan.
DIVISION 1B:
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 9 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 5, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Pens: Sean Kearns 3
Dublin University: Try: Tim Maupin
HT: St. Mary’s College 9 Dublin University 0
Three first half penalties from Sean Kearns were crucial at Templeville Road tonight as St. Mary’s College were crowned Ulster Bank League Division 1B champions with a 9-5 defeat of Dublin University.
Kearns’ nine-point haul had the hosts in the driving seat by half-time, and even though Trinity narrowed the gap with a Tim Maupin try on the resumption, Mary’s held out to secure automatic promotion straight back to Division 1A for next season.
Mary’s had started this top of the table clash in determined fashion, and just eight minutes in, an excellent long range penalty from young out-half Kearns broke the deadlock.
The influential number 10 doubled his side’s advantage on 14 minutes, but the home side then suffered a setback when full-back Steve Toal-Lennon was forced off through injury – with Terry Kennedy taking his place.
Trinity’s Tommy Whittle missed an excellent opportunity to narrow the gap, though, and thanks to a third successful penalty from Kearns, the 2012 Ulster Bank League champions brought a 9-0 lead into the interval.
Trinity kept Mary’s on the back foot for large spells after the restart, however, and even though Whittle’s 48th-minute place-kick rebounded off the woodwork, they finally breached the stern Mary’s resistance 16 minutes from time.
After the ball was recycled to the right flank, American international winger Maupin squeezed through in the corner for his 11th try of the season. The unconverted score set-up a tension-filled finale, but with Mary’s largely controlling the tempo of the play, they finished with four points to spare over the second-placed students.
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Steve Toal-Lennon; Ryan O’Loughlin, Marcus O’Driscoll, Ivan Dineen, Darragh Fanning (capt); Sean Kearns, David Fanagan; Tom O’Reilly, Hugo Kean, Brian McGovern, Ciaran Ruddock, David O’Connor, Kevin Sheahan, David Aspil, Mark Fallon.
Replacements: Stephen O’Brien, Emmet Ferron, Ian Cullinane, Terry Kennedy, Conor Gilsenan.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Conor Kearns; Tim Maupin, Michael Courtney, Paddy Lavelle, Max McFarland; Tommy Whittle, Angus Lloyd; Eric O’Sullivan, Paddy Finlay, Andy Keating, Jack Burke, Raef Tyrrell, Nick McCarthy (capt), Brian du Toit, Tom Ryan.
Replacements: Warren Larkin, Tom Collis, Cian O’Dwyer, Brian Slater, Jack Fitzpatrick.